Village Voices Network members' voices bring good news and share highlights from around our community.

January Network Connection Meeting and 2019 Village Awardees Last week, we visioned for the year and decade ahead of Vital Village's work and celebrated the leaders among us who have been unsung. Please join us in congratulating to our 2019 Village Awardees! Dominique Bellegarde, Mentorship Award Melody Cunningham, Innovation and Leadership Award Erica Pike, Servant Leadership Award Dinah Shepherd, Collaborative Leadership Partnership Award Sunday Taylor, 2020 Unsung Hero Award

Mental Health Workgroup: Planning for May Mental Health Month 2020 and Beyond! Join us for the first committee meeting as we build upon past May Mental Health Awareness efforts and explore how social-emotional and mental health awareness efforts can be further incorporated across the Vital Village Network.  Date: Wednesday, February 12th Time: 4:30-5:30pm In-Person: 801 Albany St, Roxbury (Remote Option Available, indicate on RSVP) RSVP here and complete this form to receive more updates on the first meeting and ongoing efforts!

Contact Yusuf Ali at Yusuf.Ali@bmc.org or 617-414-3839.

Network Events Connect with Vital Village Network at these upcoming events. Click event to RSVP or learn more .

February Network Connection Meeting - Courageous Conversations: Parents, Caregivers, Children and Sexual Health February 10th, 5:30-8pm @ Vine Street Community Center, 339 Dudley St., Roxbury Join Vital Village, ABCD Health Services, and Dr. Judith Scott from the BU School of Social Work for this co-hosted event. The event will provide an opportunity for community members to explore practices for family conversations related to sexual health, reproductive health, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Dinner provided and childcare activities by the BMC SPARK Center. RSVP today!

Breastfeeding Peer Support Training - Apply by February 17th! February 26-28, 9am-3pm @ Great Hall at Codman Sq Health Center, 6 Norfolk St, Dorchester Are you interested in learning the skills to support families in your community? Applications are now open for the 2020 Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE ) Training to become a breastfeeding peer counselor! During the training, you will learn the essentials for providing peer counseling in lactation management and facilitating breastfeeding support groups. Please fill out this application form by February 17. For more information, click here or email catherine.luo@bmc.org with questions.

Community Events Join Vital Village Network partners and other community organizations at these upcoming events. Click event to RSVP or learn more.

February 7th: Rep. Liz Miranda’s Community Office Hours 9:30am-12:00pm @ One Family Diner, 260 Bowdoin St., Dorchester Rep Liz Miranda invites you to Community Office Hours for the 5th Suffolk District. See Facebook Event for more information or contact Mariela Casellas at mariela.casellas@mahouse.gov or 617-722-2430 February 7th: Boston Alliance for Young Children’s Social Emotional Wellness (BAYCSEW) 12:00-1:30pm @ Boston Public Health Commission, 727 Massachusetts Ave., Roxbury/South End BAYCSEW is an open group, bringing together family members, professionals, and community partners, with a focus on children, birth through age 8. BAYCSEW meets the first Friday of the month. Register here . February 8th: Mattapan Finance Series - Improving Your Credit Score and Financial Well-Being 1:00pm-4:30pm @ Mattapan Boston Public Library, 1350 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan The American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is partnering with the Mattapan BPL to host a financial workshop series. You can also register for 1:1 counseling available from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the branch, call 617-298-2918. See Facebook Event for more information. February 17th: Transformed: The Power of Resilience and Joy by Thaddeus Miles 11:00am-1:00pm @ Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Kenmore Remi Adeleke, author of “Transformed: A Navy Seal's Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds,” will share his inspiring story and sign books. Akeem Lloyd, a youth advocate, educator, believer in the power of young people, mentor and poet, will discuss how he is using his life and gifts to enhance opportunities for youth. Event hosted by great organizations including BlackJoy, HoodFit, My Brother's Keeper - Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and MassHousing. See more details and register here ! February 20th: Community Health Workers (CHW) Networking Forum: Home Visiting Safety 12:00-2:00pm @ Community Health Education Center, 860 Harrison Ave, 2nd Floor, Roxbury Learn practical tips about safety when doing home visits, learn how to wake up your brain to increase your awareness of what's happening around you, and learn effective stress management techniques including breathing and meditation and how to use these tools to help with de-escalation. For more information or RSVP, call CHEC at 617-534-5181 to RSVP or email checenter@bphc.org .  February 27th: Greenovate Boston Racial Equity and Climate Roundtable 2 5:30-8:30pm @ BCYF Hennigan Community Center, 200 Heath St,. Jamaica Plain The Racial Equity & Climate Roundtable is meant to encourage conversation around the connection between climate change and racial equity. The goal is to have conversations to foster greater social resilience for Boston communities. See Facebook Event for more information and RSVP here.

February 29th: 2020 Winter + Parent2Parent Conference 8:00am-3:30pm @ BTU, 180 Mt. Vernon Ave, Dorchester BPS Families and BTU members are invited to this conference featuring a variety of workshops. Schools are encouraged to attend as teams. Breakfast and registration will begin at 8 AM. Lunch will be served, and childcare will be provided to registered attendees.  There will be a Resource Fair from 12:00 - 2:00 PM with information about childcare, summercamp, employment, housing, healthcare, books and more. See more information and register here! Check out more community events on our Website  and Facebook.

Opportunities Check out job, volunteer, and grant opportunities available in our community.

JOBS & SERVICE: JOB: 2020 Census Team The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country to assist with the 2020 Census count. Census results are used to determine your representation in Congress, and they help inform how billions of dollars are distributed for hospitals, schools, roads, and more. Help ensure that everyone in your community is counted in the 2020 Census. Click here to learn more about roles and apply!     YEAR OF SERVICE: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) AmeriCorps Apply for Americorps position with one of our great partners, LISC. Currently they have positions open in Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Revere, and Salem. Through LISCs partnership with the Mel King Institute for Community Building , the AmeriCorps members participate in a series of trainings and receive a certificate from the Institute at the end of their service. See more information and apply here !

SPEAKING OPPORTUNITY: February 18th Deadline: Call for Speakers for TEDx Roxbury Given its rich legacy of innovation and activism, TEDxRoxbury seeks to highlight and showcase what Roxbury has to offer by letting the world hear our "ideas worth spreading" and providing a platform for the innovative, yet unheard voices in the community. For more information and the application click here !

CONFERENCES: February 8th & 9th: Black Mental Health Matters Conference Two Full Days @ Harvard University, 52 Oxford St., Cambridge The third annual Black Health Matters Conference will bring together students and speakers from across the country to explore how the past and present have impacted the health of Black communities. This year’s theme is “Community Empowerment”. The conference will be exploring how community members themselves can be key players in improving the well-being of their community. See conference website for more information and tickets .

February 29th: Visions of Community - Federation for Children with Special Needs Conference 7:30am- 4:15pm @ Seaport World Trade Center, 1 Seaport Ln., Seaport Join the the FCSN for their annual conference for parents and professionals who care for children with special needs. The day includes a variety of workshops on topics such as Autism, IEPs, self-care, and transition planning. This year, we are pleased to offer sessions in English, Español, Português, 中文 (Chinese), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), Somali, and عربى (Arabic). Early registration discount available now. Fee will increase on February 6, the deadline is February 21st. See event website for more information and registration!

Resource Connector Learn more about resources relevant to children and families in our community from our community.

RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS

Embrace Race Children's Book Collections EmbraceRace is a multiracial community of parents, teachers, experts, and other caring adults who support each other to meet the challenges that race poses to our children, families, and communities. Check our many book lists, resources, and tips like: Books that inspire resilience in kids of color 10 Tips for Reading Picture Books with Children through a Race-Conscious Lens And more! Boston Tax Help Coalition The Boston Tax Help Coalition offers free tax preparation and filing in 15 neighborhoods at 30+ different locations. Some sites also offer financial guide check-ups. Find a site near you !

Scoop on the Stats Explore data related to child and family well-being.

Child Opportunity Index 2.0 "Neighborhoods matter. Children who live in neighborhoods with quality early childhood education and schools, safe housing, access to healthy food, parks and playgrounds and clean air are more likely to grow into healthy, productive adults than children who don’t. The Child Opportunity Index (COI) measures and maps the quality of resources and conditions that matter for children to develop in a healthy way in the neighborhoods where they live." -Diversity Data Kids Explore what Child Opportunity looks like in your neighborhood here !

Sharing Technology Explore technology related to child and family well-being.

The  Abundance App   is now available on iOS and Android devices, as well as on desktops. Abundance empowers Boston residents to easily access affordable, high-quality food resources. Download the FREE app today!

CONtexts aims to promote positive outcomes between caregivers and children by sharing weekly resources through a FREE text service and interactive resource sharing map. These resources are ideal for anyone working with or caregivers of children ages 0-5.  To subscribe, text KIDS to 8-8-5-8-8 Once you're subscribed you will receive 3 weekly FREE text messages: Monday: Nearby community resources Wednesday: Wellness tips Friday: Family-fun events

Our Mission Vital Village is a network of residents and agencies committed to maximizing child, family, and community wellbeing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stay Connected ‌ ‌ Have an event, job opportunity, or resource to share with the network? Complete this  form !